The Renku Sessions: Timber Smoke – Week 25
Greetings and welcome to The Haiku Foundation’s current Renku Session entitled, ‘Timber Smoke’. I am Marshall Hryciuk of Toronto, Canada and I will be leading this session through a 36-link kasen renku.
Back to haiku earth. And what better way to land than on an image of a pond? Yet, where Basho’s famous frog leaps to a deep aural resonance, Betty Shropshire’s link reminds us that we are, in our brief renku here, barely touching the motionless top of that water’s depths:
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
Betty Shropshire
“‘blue dashers” are a species of dragonfly native and common to Eastern North America; hence the link to the previous verse, but not so obvious as to have an explicit verbal reference to ‘flying’. I appreciate that she writes “a” of “still pond”—not making the reference to Basho too heavy, and that the beautiful visual of bluish dragonflies has a plurality of them. Gives it that summery feeling of a pond that though placid is immensely alive. Straightforward writing with a smooth transfer of energy.
Thank-you Betty Shropshire.
We continue our terrestrial linking with another verse of summer seasonality: 2 lines, no flowers no moon and just a reminder that though everyone is encouraged to submit possible links, you cannot link with yourself.
Lots of attractive possibilities in the previous suggestions by this group of participants that might be condensed into two lines—
Happy linking
Marshall
Timber Smoke (so far)
nothing dimmed yet
timber smoke scent
sifts into the house
Marshall Hryciuk
one by one
I pick plums off of the ground
Alfred Booth
a file of cars
overtaking a tractor
on the mountain road
Keith Evetts
drawn out deer notes
echo in the coolness
Betty Shropshire
even paler
than the clearing fog
day moon
Mary White
handprints and crumbs
I would miss them
Pamela Garry
giving pollen
a lift
on the bicycle bells
Laurie Greer
the tiffany blue
of 3 eggs in a nest
Eavonka Ettinger
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
John Hawkhead
attempted murder
by the morality police
Rob Barkan
next door’s dog
barks
at our snowman
Carol Jones
the mailman’s breath
faintly white
Keith Evetts
Jacques Brel singing
“in the port of Amsterdam”
on the radio
Alfred Booth and Marshall Hryciuk
a whirligig of leaves
sweeps the deck clean
Wendy C. Bialek
evening begins
with a gift of opal
moonlight
Marion Clarke
beachcombers trade shells
as the tide comes in
Jonathan Alderfer
a morning glory
the hummingbird
unfolds
madeleine kavanaugh
stepping from the change room
in her prom gown
Laurie Greer
her scent
on the pillow
the morning after
Andrew Shimield
some vows
break easier than twigs
Dan Campbell
hand-calligraphed
happy new year postcard
smudge and all
Pamela Garry
hard to forget the party
and my off-tune singing
Biswajit Mishra
a blackbird tapping–
smiles and thanks me for
the seed
Melissa Dennison
sewing up an open wound
on the dragon’s flank
Tracy Davidson
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
Betty Shropshire
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Comments (81)
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All Heaven’s Blessings
from heavy rains and roaring sky
The arrangement will lead the party forward far beyond the solar system.
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
—Betty Shropshire
fig tree’s second crop
signed in a cloudburst
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!
Love all your wonderful poems! :)
on the first hot day
it’s glow not sweat
last day of school
he requests a buzz cut
meeting at the trailhead
everyone’s a year older
giving thanks to trees
that share their shade
Hi Andrew!
Marshal is waiting for you in the shade of an oak.
Scroll down and keep your eyes peeled on the twitching cow’s tail.
Thanks Pamela
I wouldn’t have spotted Marshall’s request without you!
Pamela, I can’t help but say your message to Andrew is filled with such poetic charm!
?
paper fans ripple
the evening air
Love it, Carol!
Thank you, Pamela for your lovely comment :)
Carol, I agree with Pamela…a delightful poem!
Beautiful, Betty! Well done.
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
a long minor sax chord
fills this sultry night
Or
a minor key from the sax
fills this sultry night
I’m having problems as I wanted to use
“a low minor note” but already note has already appeared in the renku. ?
following a rattlesnake
on the hiking trail
confessing my sins
under a waterfall
fresh bear poop
on the hiking trail
Congratulations Betty!
firefly code
lighting up the night
firefly lanterns
above the wishing well
mini-stars
sparkling in the backyard
Congratulations, Betty, on your verse.
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
–Betty Shropshire
a blue jay waits
for the wash to hang
staring at the sky
from the hammock
in a hammock
staring up at the stars
wearing flip flops
to the ice cream stand
fresh insult
imprinted on their-self
graffiti on the rock
goldfish haunt
graffiti on the rocks
goldfish haunt
graffiti on the rocks
minnows haunt
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
——-Betty Shropshire
.
the Great Bear rises up
over our campfire
.
lapis lazuli ground fine
for a clear sky
.
dust devil calligraphy
awaits translation
.
our canoe wake ripples
the stars
meniscus mirages
outside their eyes
meniscus mirages
on both sides of their eyes
tiptoeing softly
because of the stickers
the tortoise sunbathes
a terrace of aloe vera
*she tiptoes gingerly
because of the stickers
sunbathing tortoise
on a terrace of aloe vera plants
*sunbathing tortoise
on a terrace of aloe vera
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
— Betty Shropshire
well trained professionals
dance rings around the stars
:)
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
— Betty Shropshire
smearing sunscreen
before the book of hours
midnight in the alps
there! a shooting star
hammock dreams
of Puck and Tatiana
dwindling days
the search for lost time
absolutely cherish the story behind your lovely poem betty,
those limestone pools are fascinating! wish you a full recovery!
wonderful pick, marshall, you brought us all back to earth
in a beautiful way.
Many thanks everyone and, especially, Marshall! Having struggled with covid the past few weeks, this has really lifted my spirits!
Marshall, I almost changed that “a” so really appreciate your read and commentary on the linkage to Basho’s “still pond”.
My experience with those blue dashers are from my volunteer days at a park out in far west Texas. I loved watching them in the few spring-fed ponds beneath limestone rock shelters where marvelous ancient pictographs (over 4,000 yrs. old) were hidden. It was magical watching them flit about while I sat there pondering our shared ephemeral existence.
Again, thank you all for the lovely feedback.
Betty
You’re most welcome, Betty -Salud!
Marshall
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
*
Betty Shropshire
*
gambling a roll of pennies
on the beach house wishing well
*
a penny comes up dry
from the beach house wishing well
*
the well’s insatiable thirst
for summer- tourist wishes
in the leaves a warm breeze
refreshing lemonade
summer sweat
his full sqeeze and dry
making a splash
in her polka-dot bikini
something borrowed
for a summer wedding
taking a dip
with the stars
raindrops and
traces of stars
the brief twinkling of stars
rolling down the tree’s bark
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
*
Betty Shropshire
*
the cow’s tail twitching
under the shade of an oak
hi Andrew -could we streamline this a bit; especially the definite articles, by changing it to:
‘twitching of a cow’s tail
in the shade of an oak’ ?
Marshall
sure
that’s fine by me
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
*
Betty Shropshire
the flash of fireflies
for a brief moment
his Puli sweeping streets
at the sidewalk sale
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
*
Betty Shropshire
napping with a wet towel
wrapped around my dreams
betty you made a great link and shift with your very choice selection of ‘blue dashers’ kudos for your wisdom and creativity for this wonderful image and so gracefully gliding us back to earth with this excellent edition to our renku.
marshall…i support your choice for betty’s verse….the very best!
a summer hair cut takes
the last bit off the top
skinny dipping with
the A/C repair man
mildew spots on
an old pair of Speedos
* the tree frog calls
a staccato like sound
hula hooping
around the block
jumpin’ hula hoop
it’s a gas
hula hooping
out of this world
These are delightful, Pamela :)
Happy you like them! Thanks.
rise and fall
of the hula hoop
boomeranging
hula hoop
two
sharing a hula hoop
two sharing a hula hoop
and then there were three
the dry breeze whistles
along the reeds
~ ~ ~
a tree frog calls
in staccato
…and your beautiful poetry, too!
Pamela, I meant to respond to post below! lol. Oh well. :)
You warm the cockles of my heart!
Awww! :)
Ditto!:)
a blackbird tapping–
smiles and thanks me for
the seed
sewing up an open wound
on the dragon’s flank
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
Offers :
distracted convolutions :
the sights and sounds of summer
a gull hovers in wind
over a sparkling sea
a clear-sky message to pilot
Check your altitude now !
Fantastic verse from Betty which was a truly inspired link from the last verse.
slip and slide
with the garden hose
pop goes the weasel
from an ice cream truck
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
*
drunk on vacation drawings
of sea grapes
*
intoxicated
with drawings of sea grapes
*
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
*
savoring the sea breeze
in every sip of sun tea
*
Congratulations, Betty, a beautiful poem for our renku! Thank-you Marshall for the wonderful read.
Congratulations, Betty. A fabulous image. And lovely selection, Marshall.
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
*
a slow walk with the dunes
after the heat of the day
Congratulations,, Betsy! Wonderful lines!
+++
before the ocean
the ocean’s scent
I apologize, Betty, for calling you “Betsy”! And for using one too many commas, too!
Very lovely!
Congratulations Betty, a beautiful imagistic verse! And those lovely blue dashers occur not just in the East but all across North America. I’ve always loved the names of dragonflies—there must have been some poets among the entomologists who named them.
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
——-Betty Shropshire
.
the zazen space
between raindrops
.
ripe blackberries
stain our hands
.
Beautiful, Betty! And thank you, Marshall!
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
*
Betty Shropshire
*
bellyflopping into
a nose full of lake
Beautiful dragonfly verse, Betty! And thanks again, Marshall, for picking out something so special.
**
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
*
Betty Shropshire
*
a rumble of thunder
clears the air
*
picnic plans shaken up
by a rumble of thunder
*
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
Betty Shropshire
fireflies
you are as thoughts
Congrats Betty! Great lines….?
I am grateful to experience Renku for the first time with each of you! Congratulations Betty and Marshall!
blue dashers
skim the surface
of a still pond
—Betty Shropshire
cicada’s shedded shell
vibrating still
in the container garden
I hoe
spelling love
in the sandbox
meniscus mirages
in the endless summer
I speak for everyone…very grateful you are here, Pamela! :)
Very dear Madeleine, thank you!
:)